The “Magic” Behind the IoT

The “Magic” Behind the IoT

By
Kai Fai Ng, president, Southeast Asia, SEMI

Recently, I read with great interest an article on the
projections for the Internet of Things (IoT). According to leading analysts and
industry leaders, there are roughly 10 billion units connected to the web today
and that number will increase fivefold by 2020. Fivefold! In addition, according to Gartner Research, the IoT
market value is expected to generate 300 billion (USD) in 2020 and 1.9 trillion
in global economic value-add through sales into diverse end
markets. The numbers are mind boggling, but what does this
mean to our industry?

If I may quote Rick Wallace, president and CEO of
KLA-Tencor during his keynote address at this year’s SEMI Industry Strategy
Symposium event, the microelectronics industry performs the “magic behind the gadget.”
The reference speaks to how SEMI members enable IoT’s future through new
paradigms in advanced manufacturing processes and microelectronics design,
test, and packaging such as 3D-IC and TSV.
As IoT user requirements push technological boundaries, the
microelectronics industry should consider how each successive advance increases
the complexity of our world in terms of:

What
does this translation looks like to our industry where we essentially enable
and play a major role in the ubiquitous adoption of IoT (if the prediction is
right)? Imagine simply getting out of bed
in the morning can trigger your music to begin playing and your coffee maker to
brew coffee. Checking real-time newsfeed in the shower mirror. Closing the door
on your way to work can arm your security system and make sure all the lights
and TV’s are off in the house. Hopping into your car without actually “driving”
to work. And returning home at night can
turn on the lights, unlock the door and turn to your favorite TV channel right
as you walk in the door.

Those 10 billion devices I mentioned earlier are built
upon the magic of our industry. Those
innovations start here, with us. I
invite you to visit this year’s SEMICON Singapore show and discover how advanced
semiconductor processes, design, test and packaging as well as system
integration will enable the IoT to transform our lives now and in the near future.
I recommend these sessions that focus on
IoT and Mobility: